An extraordinary theory that has been getting cred lately is one that suggests our own universe is actually a hologram. Now, a new study uncovers evidence that lends further credibility to this terrifying theory.

Back in 1997, the theory of a holographic universe was first introduced by physicist Juan Maldacena, who theorized that gravity arises from thin, vibrating strings that exist in nine dimensions of space and another of time, whereas real life exists in a universe without gravity. The comparison to the hologram is frequently made because of the way a hologram is created; it’s a three-dimensional image coded onto a two-dimensional surface. The theory suggests that the universe is built in a similar fashion, the higher dimensional part coded onto a flatter, lower dimensional part. So, on a hologram, only one part is tangible — the lower dimensional surface onto which the hologram is coded. The holographic image, though, merely looks three-dimensional. You can’t, for example, touch it with your fingers. Now, pretend that’s the structure of the universe.